126 The Bulletin. 



tion. These people have grown in wealth until they are the second 

 richest nation in the world. "We are the richest nation in the world, 

 considered from the standpoint of natural resources. We have the 

 greatest forests, the richest mines, the most territory, as well as the 

 most equable climate and the most skillful and ingenious people of any 

 nation in the world. And our farmers were not serfs a generation or 

 two ago. They owned their land. The Government gave the land to the 

 actual settlers, which was a meritorious and commendable plan. But to- 

 day what are the conditions ? Instead of finding the farmer class owners 

 of their homes, 60 per cent are tenants living in rented homes. That does 

 not indicate agricultural prosperity. Why? There is a reason, and it 

 should be the purpose of all men here and of every one trying to promote 

 agricultural interests to find out that reason. One of the speakers said 

 that the only intelligent and the best citizenship is that which owns his 

 own home. We must labor for the day when every white man will own 

 his own home, free of debt. Why have we not reached that day ? Because 

 of the fact that we have not had a system of education adapted to our 

 class of people. Another reason is that we have had no system of market- 

 ing our products. Now practically nothing is being done to check the 

 present iniquitous system of marketing in this country. In the establish- 

 ment of warehouses is the secret of cooperative marketing. We had a 

 pledge from the representative of the Bankers' Association that if we will 

 provide the necessary storage for our crops we can secure the necessary 

 financial aid in carrying that crop. We must do that; we must carry 

 our crops and market them just as they are demanded by the consumers. 

 The only way we can do it is to prepare ourselves to store the crop 

 and carry it. The day will come when the farmer will do as every 

 other class of people does, and put his own price on the products of 

 his labor. He will never come into his own if he never sees that day. 

 You cannot buy anything without paying the other man's price. We 

 must change the economic conditions. If we had the power of pricing 

 the products of our labor we would be on an equal footing with other 

 classes that price their own products. But as long as other people 

 price what we have to buy from them, and price what we have to sell 

 to them, we shall never be prosperous. We have to change our economic 

 conditions before we can come into our own. 



Mr. Siiltfoed: We are almost ready to adjourn, and I want to say 

 that it has been a great pleasure to be here with you and to be your 

 presiding officer. 



The women's work is a very fine work, and next year I want you to 

 bring your wives. Bring them with you next year. Thousands of chil- 

 dren are dying every year in ITorth Carolina simply from ignorance. 

 Let us dispel this ignorance, and let us raise our children and settle 

 this country with native North Carolinians, 



I trust that next year we shall have a bigger crowd. I am sorry that 

 we could not keep the crowd until to-day, for I believe to-day has been 



